Ukrainians demonstrate strong demand for freedom of speech, personal autonomy and protection of private property, while at the same time, on issues of economic and social policy, a significant part of society expects an active role from the state, according to the results of the nationwide sociological study “Values of Freedom in Ukraine,” presented by the International Liberty Institute (ILI).
According to the study, 85% of respondents supported citizens’ right to criticize the authorities without fear of persecution, while 67% supported guaranteeing freedom of expression even for views that may be considered unacceptable or offensive. Almost half of respondents – 49% – opposed internet censorship even under wartime conditions, while 57% opposed punishment by the state for statements or opinions if they do not pose a direct physical threat.
“Almost 85% of Ukrainians, if we combine the responses ‘completely agree’ and ‘rather agree,’ support the right to publicly criticize the authorities without fear of persecution. At the same time, around two-thirds believe that freedom of speech should be guaranteed even for views that are perceived as wrong or offensive. For us, this is one of the clearest indicators of society’s demand for personal freedom,” Director of the International Institute for Liberty Mykhailo Kamchatnyi said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
Another 68% of respondents opposed a situation in which the majority can impose its values on a minority. ILI believes that the combination of these indicators demonstrates a clear demand for limiting state interference in the sphere of personal beliefs and expression.
At the same time, respondents’ ideological self-identification proved to be significantly less liberal. A total of 52% primarily defined themselves as free individuals with their own values who are personally responsible for their lives, while 31% primarily identified themselves as citizens of Ukraine. Only 13% described themselves as supporters of liberal or libertarian views, while 46.5% gravitate toward ideologies that envisage a more active role for the state. Almost half – 48% – reported that their political and ideological beliefs had changed or been formed under the influence of the war and its consequences.
A separate section of the study concerned language policy. According to the data presented, 65% of respondents named Ukrainian as their native language, 23.6% identified themselves as bilingual, and 11% named Russian as their native language. At the same time, 76% supported the mandatory use of the Ukrainian language in the public state sphere, while about two-thirds agreed that people should have the right to communicate in their native language in public life without state restrictions.
The human right to self-defense also received considerable support. About half of respondents supported the right to legally carry weapons for self-defense, while around 80% supported the right to use them to protect life and private property in the event of an unlawful intrusion into a home.
More than 80% of respondents agreed that even during martial law the authorities should not go beyond the limits established by the Constitution. A total of 53% supported a substantial revision of the current Constitution or the adoption of a new one. Some 77% of respondents agreed that closing media outlets or blocking internet resources may be justified only if cooperation with the enemy or coordination of military strikes has been proven.
One of the most sensitive issues was the principle of staffing the Armed Forces. A total of 46% of respondents supported an exclusively professional or voluntary army, while almost half favored a mixed model combining a professional contract-based core with mandatory training for young people in peacetime. The traditional mobilization model was supported by 3% of respondents, while more than 80% approved attracting professional military personnel through high salaries and benefits.
“We see that the traditional mobilization model does not enjoy citizens’ support – only around 3% of respondents chose it. Instead, society is much more oriented either toward a professional volunteer army or toward a mixed model with a professional core and training of citizens in peacetime. More than 80% also support attracting military personnel through competitive salaries and a system of benefits,” Kamchatnyi said.
In the economic part of the study, society proved to be significantly more polarized. A total of 44% of respondents supported an expanded role for the state in the economy and in providing social services, including 29% who took the strongest position in favor of active state regulation. At the same time, 44% of respondents said that they rely primarily on their own efforts to ensure their well-being, while 43.5% expect the state not to interfere with their personal risks.
ILI President Yaroslav Romanchuk, in turn, drew attention to the fact that Ukrainians’ attitudes toward private property and entrepreneurship are more market-oriented than their formal ideological self-identification. In particular, 69% of respondents demonstrated an understanding of the concept of private property, while almost 70% agreed with the statement that excessive bureaucracy and regulation hinder business development.
“Ukrainians as a whole do not reject private property – on the contrary, in many responses we see an understanding that a private owner manages an enterprise more efficiently than a manager appointed by the state. This is fundamentally important for future economic policy: the country’s strategic development should not automatically mean the dominance of state ownership. Private initiative, competition and protected owners’ rights are needed,” Romanchuk stressed.
He also linked problems in the business environment to excessive discretionary powers granted to officials.
“When an official, law enforcement officer or inspector is given the opportunity to interpret a vaguely written rule at their own discretion, a source of discretion arises, and with it a corruption risk. Almost 70% of respondents directly say that excessive bureaucracy and regulation are a brake on business development. Therefore, laws must be as clear as possible and leave as little room as possible for arbitrary interpretation,” the ILI president added.
According to Romanchuk, the results regarding knowledge of economic concepts also indicate the need to update economic education. A total of 46% of respondents had heard or read about Marxism, 12% about monetarism, and 4% about the Austrian School of Economics. A free-market economic model without state intervention was chosen as the most desirable for Ukraine by 18%, a model of active state regulation by 10%, and socialism by 6.5%.
Romanchuk separately advocated preserving and developing the institution of FOP individual entrepreneurship as a form not only of taxation, but also of self-employment and entrepreneurial culture. He noted that microbusiness should be regarded as an important component of citizens’ economic and social independence.
In the social sphere, the ILI president called for a transition toward more targeted assistance that would take into account not only a person’s current income, but also savings, assets, health status and other criteria of need. In his opinion, after the war, the issue of combining the state’s substantial social obligations with the need to preserve conditions for business development will become one of the key issues for fiscal policy.
“Ukraine will have to find a balance between the needs of people who will require social support and rehabilitation and the economy’s ability to finance this. If social obligations are formed without taking into account the tax burden that business is capable of bearing, we will get neither investment nor modernization. Therefore, assistance must be as targeted and transparent as possible and tied to the real needs of a specific person,” Romanchuk stressed.
He also advocated developing alternatives to an exclusively state pension system and making broader use of funded mechanisms, while in education and healthcare he called for competition between public and private service providers. According to Romanchuk, a market model in these sectors does not imply the state’s complete withdrawal from financing, but primarily a change in the mechanisms for distributing funds and greater accountability of providers for results.
During the discussion following the presentation, Romanchuk separately drew attention to the connection between freedom, responsibility and the quality of legal institutions.
“Freedom does not exist without responsibility. If the right to private property formally exists, but no one bears responsibility for violating it, then in practice that property is not protected. The same applies in other areas: a right works only when there is a clear mechanism of responsibility for its violation,” he summarized.
The study covered issues of personal freedom, the state and politics, the economy, the social sphere, private property and entrepreneurship, taxes, elections, military service, education, healthcare, pension provision, individual responsibility and social solidarity.
New Image and Marketing Group conducted the sociological survey in July 2026 at the request of the International Liberty Institute. A total of 1,600 respondents who were living in Ukrainian government-controlled territory at the time of the study took part in the online survey.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH, ILI, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, PRIVATE PROPERTY, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
Canada is among the group of countries that consistently enjoy a high level of positive perception within Ukrainian society. According to the survey results, 76.2% of respondents describe their attitude toward Canada as positive. Specifically, 39.4% of Ukrainians indicated a “completely positive” attitude, while another 36.8% described it as “mostly positive.” This distribution of responses indicates not only broad support but also a deeply entrenched positive image of the country.
At the same time, the level of negative perception of Canada is minimal—only 2.3% (1.4% “mostly negative” and 0.9% “completely negative”). This is one of the lowest figures among all countries included in the study. This result confirms that negative assessments are isolated and do not significantly influence overall perception.
The share of neutral responses is 20.3%, which is a moderate figure. This means that while most Ukrainians have already formed a positive attitude toward Canada, a certain portion of respondents lack sufficient personal experience or information to make a clear assessment. At the same time, only 1.2% of respondents were unable to decide on an answer, which further underscores the high level of certainty in public opinion regarding this country.
Overall, Canada demonstrates one of the most balanced and positive perception profiles: the combination of a high share of “fully positive” assessments with virtually no negativity forms a solid reputation capital. This indicates that the country’s image in Ukraine is based not only on general perceptions but also on a systematic view of Canada as a reliable partner.
“Canada is among those countries toward which Ukrainians have formed not just a positive, but a consistently positive attitude. This is the result of long-term interaction, support, and presence in the Ukrainian information space. In such cases, even neutral responses do not blur the overall picture, but only underscore its consistency,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Thus, Canada ranks among the top countries with the highest level of trust in Ukrainian society. The combination of high positive perception and minimal negativity creates a foundation for further strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of politics, the economy, and humanitarian cooperation.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Canada ranks 41st in total trade volume of goods with Ukraine, with a figure of $416.2 million.
Imports of Canadian goods are twice as high as Ukrainian exports, resulting in a trade deficit of $139.9 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, CANADA, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
According to the results of a public opinion poll conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, perceptions of Brazil in Ukrainian society show moderately positive trends, although a high level of neutrality remains the key characteristic. Most Ukrainians do not have a clearly formed attitude toward this country, but the share of positive assessments is gradually increasing.
Overall, the positive attitude toward Brazil stands at 29.4%, which is a noticeable increase compared to August 2025 (24.3%). At the same time, 9.8% of respondents chose the “completely positive” option, and another 19.6% selected “mostly positive.” This trend indicates a gradual strengthening of the country’s positive image, although it remains relatively moderate.
At the same time, negative assessments have decreased—from 12.3% to 8.4%. Within the structure of negative perceptions, 7.7% fall under the “mostly negative” category and only 0.7% under “completely negative.” This means that critical perceptions of Brazil in Ukraine are diminishing and are not systemic in nature.
Most telling is the high level of neutrality—58.7% of respondents. This indicates that for most Ukrainians, Brazil remains a country that does not occupy a significant place on the informational or political agenda. The absence of active interaction or regular information flows shapes precisely this model of perception.
Additionally, 3.5% of respondents were unable to determine their position. Combined with neutral assessments, this creates a significant segment of “undecided attitudes,” which could potentially change depending on the development of bilateral relations or the country’s media presence.
From a dynamic perspective, Brazil shows a positive trend: an increase in the share of positive assessments is accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in negative ones. This indicates a gradual improvement in the country’s image in Ukraine, although it is occurring against a backdrop of general inertia in neutral perception.
Overall, Brazil remains a “peripheral” country for Ukrainians in terms of emotional perception, yet with potential for further improvement of its image. The high proportion of neutral assessments means that future changes in perception will largely depend on the level of economic, diplomatic, and informational interaction between the two countries.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Brazil ranks 50th in total trade volume of goods with Ukraine, with a figure of $335.6 million. At the same time, imports from Brazil are nearly four times higher than Ukrainian exports, resulting in a bilateral trade deficit of $193.5 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, BRAZIL, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
According to the results of a sociological survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, perceptions of Mexico in Ukrainian society are characterized by a high level of neutrality and a relatively moderate share of both positive and negative assessments. At the same time, the trend shows a gradual increase in positive attitudes and a simultaneous decrease in negative ones, indicating a cautious normalization of the country’s image.
The total share of positive attitudes toward Mexico stands at 21.5%, of which 5.4% of respondents chose the option “completely positive,” and another 16.1% selected “mostly positive.” Compared to August 2025, this figure has increased (from 19.7% to 21.4%), indicating a gradual strengthening of positive perceptions, although they remain relatively limited.
Negative assessments, conversely, show a decline—from 10.0% to 8.6%. Within the structure of negative attitudes, 7.7% fall into the “mostly negative” category and only 0.9% into the “completely negative” category. This means that while a critical perception of Mexico exists, it is not dominant and is rather moderate in nature.
Neutrality remains the key characteristic of Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Mexico—66.2% of respondents chose this option. Such a high figure indicates the absence of a clearly formed image of the country in the public consciousness. For most respondents, Mexico is neither an important political partner nor a country with distinct emotional significance.
Additionally, 3.7% of respondents were unable to decide on their assessment, which, together with the high proportion of neutral responses, forms a significant segment of “undetermined attitudes.” This means that perceptions of Mexico depend to a large extent on the level of awareness and the country’s presence in the Ukrainian information space.
From a dynamic perspective, the situation appears moderately positive: the increase in positive assessments is accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in negative ones. This may indicate the gradual formation of a more favorable, albeit still weakly expressed, image of the country.
Ultimately, Mexico remains a country with a predominantly neutral perception among Ukrainians, but with a trend toward a slow improvement in its image. The high proportion of neutral assessments creates significant potential for future changes, which will depend on the development of economic, cultural, and informational ties between the countries.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Mexico ranks 49th in total trade volume with Ukraine, which amounts to $350.0 million. At the same time, imports of Mexican goods exceed Ukrainian exports by more than seven times, resulting in a trade deficit of $264.7 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, MEXICO, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
The results of a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center showed that perceptions of Bangladesh in Ukrainian society are characterized by a predominance of neutral assessments and a relatively low level of both positive and negative attitudes. At the same time, compared to the previous survey, there has been a gradual increase in both positive and negative assessments, indicating a certain intensification of perceptions of this country.
The overall share of positive attitudes stands at 13.0% (specifically, 4.4% “completely positive” and 8.6% “mostly positive”). This is a relatively low figure, indicating a limited level of emotional engagement among Ukrainians regarding Bangladesh. At the same time, the trend shows an increase in positive attitudes—from 9.7% to 13.1%—which may indicate a gradual expansion of the country’s informational or economic presence in Ukrainian perceptions.
Negative assessments also show an increase—from 7.7% to 9.6%. In terms of composition, they consist of 7.7% “mostly negative” and 1.9% “completely negative” attitudes. Although these figures remain relatively low, their trend indicates the emergence of a more defined, albeit still limited, negative backdrop.
At the same time, a key characteristic of attitudes toward Bangladesh is the high level of neutrality—71.6%. This is one of the highest figures among the countries surveyed, indicating low awareness or a lack of clear associations. In practical terms, this means that for most Ukrainians, Bangladesh is not a country associated with significant political, economic, or cultural reference points.
Additionally, 5.8% of respondents were undecided, which, combined with the high proportion of neutral assessments, forms a significant segment of “undetermined perception.” This creates potential for future changes—both toward strengthening a positive image and toward an increase in critical attitudes, depending on the informational context.
In summary, Bangladesh remains a country with a minimally established image in the perception of Ukrainians. Despite a slight increase in both positive and negative assessments, neutrality is the defining factor. This means that the further evolution of attitudes will depend primarily on the country’s level of presence in the Ukrainian information space and the development of bilateral contacts.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Bangladesh ranks 48th in total trade volume with Ukraine, with a figure of $355.8 million. The bilateral trade balance is relatively close to equilibrium, but imports still slightly exceed exports, resulting in a small trade deficit of $26.9 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, BANGLADESH, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
According to a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, perceptions of Thailand within Ukrainian society are characterized by a high degree of neutrality and a moderately positive overall balance. The share of positive assessments stands at 29.2%, forming the basis of a cautiously favorable attitude; however, the dominant category is neutral responses—62.7%.
The structure of positive perceptions demonstrates that emotional engagement with Thailand is limited. Only 9.6% of respondents expressed a “completely positive” attitude, while 19.6% chose the “mostly positive” option. This indicates the presence of a generally positive backdrop, which, however, lacks a deep or lasting emotional foundation.
The key feature is the dominance of neutrality. The 62.7% figure means that for most Ukrainians, Thailand remains a country without a clearly formed image. This situation is typically associated with limited information exchange, a lack of active political or economic interaction, and the country’s weak presence in the Ukrainian media landscape.
Negative assessments are minimal—only 4.2% overall. Of these, 3.3% represent a “mostly negative” attitude and 0.9% a “completely negative” one. This indicates the absence of systemic factors shaping a negative image of the country and confirms the generally neutral-positive nature of perceptions.
Another 4.0% of respondents were undecided. Combined with the high proportion of neutral responses, this creates a significant segment of the audience that is sensitive to informational influences and potentially open to a change in attitude.
In summary, Thailand appears in the perception of Ukrainians as a country without a clearly defined emotional profile: with a low level of negativity, moderate positivity, and a dominant neutrality. This means that the country’s image in Ukraine is more of a “blank slate” that can change depending on the intensity of communication, cultural presence, and the development of bilateral contacts.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Thailand ranks 47th in total trade volume with Ukraine, which amounts to $368.4 million. At the same time, imports from Thailand exceed exports of Ukrainian goods by more than five times, resulting in a negative bilateral trade balance of $250.6 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, THAILAND, UKRAINE, URAKIN
